Woman found shot dead in a supposed murder-suicide in Elko

ELKO, Nev. — A mother was found dead by police after her two children ran to a neighbor’s house claiming that she was shot in their residence.

According to a press release from Elko County Sheriff’s Office, 44-year-old Cassandra Banuelos was lying on the kitchen floor with a gunshot wound in a home near 700 Spring Creek Pkwy. Lying next to her was 53-year-old Ruben Banuelos, who had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.

Lifesaving measures were performed on Cassandra Banuelos but she was pronounced dead on the scene. Ruben Banuelos was sent to the hospital in critical condition and was also pronounced dead soon after, according to the press release.

The sheriff’s office is still investigating what happened and determining a motive for this case.

Police said that Rueben Banuelos has prior arrests including one in 2014 for an assault with a deadly weapon which he was not found guilty.

Resources For Domestic Violence Victims

If you are a victim of abuse, there are resources out there to help. It is a difficult first step, but help is available 24 hours a day and doesn’t cost anything.

• Utah Domestic Violence Link Line 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
• Utah YWCA shelter for women- 24-Hour Crisis Line- 801-537-8600
• 911 — don’t hesitate to call if you need immediate help

Online resources:

https://justice.utah.gov/Violence/

http://www.health.utah.gov/vipp/topics/domestic-violence/

https://www.thehotline.org/resources/statistics/

https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=235

https://ncadv.org

https://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/intimate-partner-violence/Pages/welcome.aspx